|
Winter 2014 New Year’s Resolutions – How VA Can Help
Coaching Into Care is the VA’s national call center for family members and friends of Veterans. We help callers talk with veterans about various problems, stressors or mental health concerns. Reach out to one of our highly trained responders at (888) 823-7458 Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm Eastern.
|
|
 |
|
|
Coaching Into Care (CIC) wishes you a happy and healthy 2014. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the New Year can bring a sense of calm. January is often a time for fresh starts and resolutions.
Many resolutions involve breaking a habit, which is no easy task. These are behaviors that have become nearly or completely involuntary. What we know is that having a plan and support to go along with your determination increases your chances of success.
Did you know that the VA has programs that may help enrolled Veterans achieve their resolutions?
Quit Smoking
Veterans should talk with their healthcare professional about the many tools available to help them quit. They also may call 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838) to speak with a smoking cessation counselor. You can download the Stay Quit Mobile App for tools to help control cravings and manage smoking triggers.
Lose Weight
Excess weight puts you at risk for problems like heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, sleep apnea and gallstones. The best way to manage your weight is to eat wisely and be as physically active as possible. MOVE!® and your VA healthcare team can help you at every step along the way to healthy living and a healthy weight. The program has classes for Veterans who are overweight or obese and want help managing their weight. The materials on their web site can help non-VA patients manage their weight as well.
Manage Stress
PTSD Coach Online offers 17 tools, including video coaches, to help you manage stress. PTSD Coach Mobile App includes reliable information on PTSD and treatments that work, tools to help you track and monitor your symptoms, and direct links to support and help.
|
|
| NEWS FLASH: |
|
 VeteranParenting.org
The VA in partnership with DOD and National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) has developed a new web site devoted to Parenting for Service Members and Veterans. This free online course provides military and Veteran parents with information and strategies to improve their parenting skills. Kudos to CIC Coach Shelley Tom, Ph.D., who helped develop this valuable resource.
|
|
|
|
|
Mission Statement:
Coaching Into Care is a national VA call center whose mission is to educate, support and empower family members and friends who are seeking care or services for a Veteran.
|
|
| Top of Page |
|
|
The following case illustrates the kind of work CIC does. All identifying information has been changed.
Amy called CIC for help with her boyfriend, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran. She described alternating periods of high energy and little sleep with periods of deep depression. His increasingly erratic and impulsive behavior scared her, and she worried he might be heading for a crisis.
The Call Responder provided support and psycho-education about the symptoms she was describing. A mental health assessment was encouraged since his symptoms could be related to a variety of problems. Amy was given information on getting her boyfriend enrolled in VA health care as well as contact information for the local Returning Veterans or OEF/OIF/OND team. In addition, she was referred to Coaching to help her find ways to talk with him about treatment and to get support for herself.
Amy is still working with a Coach and indicates that she feels more knowledgeable about his issues and reassured that she has someone to talk to about her struggles getting him into care. She also reports connecting with a local support group through NAMI for those dealing with mental health issues in someone they love.
When a Veteran you know needs help, call 888-823-7458
M-F 8am-8pm Eastern.
|
| Top of Page |
 |
|
 |
|
Gratitude
Gratitude has long been understood as a key ingredient to happiness in life. It is a skill that can be practiced in every moment. Practicing gratitude—acknowledging the positive in our lives—has been shown to increase sleep quality, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce blood pressure and improve the immune system. It also can help us cope better with crisis and hard times, making us more resilient.
A good mindfulness technique to practice gratitude:
(1) Focus your attention on something good in your life or that happened in the past. Let yourself feel good about it.
(2) Stay with the good experience for ten, twenty or thirty seconds in a row. Notice your breathing and what you’re sensing – sights, sounds, smells.
(3) Savor the good experience and allow it to sink in by sharing your good feelings with others, taking a mental photograph, allowing yourself to get absorbed in the moment.
Excerpted from VA Calm and Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
Read More>>
|
|
| CALENDAR: |
|
January is National Mentoring Month, and Thank Your Mentor Day is January 16.
Mentoring programs in your community need more volunteers, and many seek Veterans. Continue serving your country with a sense of purpose. Share what you know – mentor a child.
|
|
|
| KUDOS |
|
CIC would like to thank and recognize colleagues who collaborated with us to promote or arrange care for our families and Veterans:
-
Timothy Wilson, LCSW, OEF/OIF Coordinator, Northern California Health Care System
-
Chris Jetton, Ph.D., West Los Angeles VA Medical Center
-
Gina Capra, MPA, Director, Office of Rural Health
-
Kristen Wing, Program Specialist, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center
- Nancy Maher, Ph.D., Analyst, VHA Office of Rural Health
-
Linda Kinzler-Norheim, HCHV Coordinator, Black Hills Health Care System, South Dakota
|
|
| Top of Page |
|
